Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for June 05, 2014

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    Trilobyte Premium Member over 10 years ago

    Pearls Before Hobbes…

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    Trilobyte Premium Member over 10 years ago

    …or maybe Swine Before Hobbes.

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    Templo S.U.D.  over 10 years ago

    Nice underbite, Libby’s version of Pig.

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    knight1192a  over 10 years ago

    You mean do far worse. Libby’s Rat has a certain cuddliness to him while her Pig some how comes across as potentially more mean spirited thanks to those teeth. Completely the opposite of the two.

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    KZ71  over 10 years ago

    Someone’s gonna hurt me for this, but I hope Pearls keeps that artwork going! That’s awesome!

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    dadoctah  over 10 years ago

    And all it would take to undo this progress would be a return visit from the Family Circus kids….

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    samuli creator over 10 years ago

    Hi Bill!

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    oldschool434  over 10 years ago

    does this mean that Pastis has to attend second grade to cover for her while she does his work? If so…..Libby better be prepared to repeat second grade….

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    Kali39  over 10 years ago

    What do you mean “is now drawn”? Cartoon Boy’s reliving his childhood, isn’t he?

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    Sisyphos  over 10 years ago

    Hey, that Libby is some artist!I mean, “Libby” is a nom de plume for a well-known cartoonist, right? And the preponderance of guesses favors Bill Watterson….When do we get the Big Reveal, Cartoon-Boy?

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    dputhoff  over 10 years ago

    Libby should draw THE FAMILY CIRCUS the next time Bil takes a vacation!

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    Commentator  over 10 years ago

    Wow, who knew Pastis had it in him?

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    rshive  over 10 years ago

    Libby can draw real live legs, too.

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    starkeyt62  over 10 years ago

    Paying homage to Watterson! Nice!

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    The Winy Child  over 10 years ago

    i did not know pearls was secretly calvin and hobbes!

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    theorgandude  over 10 years ago

    It has to be Bill Watterson’s work: look how Rat is jumping back in fear. Looks exactly like how Hobbes jumped back in many a strip of “Calvin and Hobbes”. What’s next? Crazy homicidal snow men in Rat’s Beerland????

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    Carl Rennhack Premium Member over 10 years ago

    When it comes to Martian invasions I’ll stay with Orson Welles and Gene Barry!

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    GoodQuestion Premium Member over 10 years ago

    Stephan, don’t let her get your goat . . . ☻

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    Cameron1988 Premium Member over 10 years ago

    get rid of the kid

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    puddlesplatt  over 10 years ago

    she even made Pastis, look almost human… golly

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    Commycon  over 10 years ago

    Libby is Billy spelled sideways. Sort of.

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    David D Smith Premium Member over 10 years ago

    The explosion beneath pig is kind of in a bad place. Makes it look like he had a bean burrito and was standing near an open flame!

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    Thrush  over 10 years ago

    It’s about time this comic strip got a real cartoonist!

    ;)

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    MeGoNow Premium Member over 10 years ago

    Heck. I figured it was always draw by a second grader who needed an adult to front for her, because she couldn’t sign the syndicate contract.

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    kirkhaverkamp  over 10 years ago

    Has to be Bill Watterson. Pastis collaborates with other cartoonists all the time. Not only that, but Watterson recently did his first cartoon in two decades as the poster for the comics documentary Stripped, on which he also consented to be interviewed, so that would have created an impetus for Pastis to contact him and set this up.

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    singlefemalelaywer  over 10 years ago

    She just has to wait until Sunday, three more panels then.

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    Stocky One  over 10 years ago

    I want Stephen back.

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    155088  over 10 years ago

    Dump the second-grader!

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    alvinh  over 10 years ago

    I do not like the new drawing

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    darlabass  over 10 years ago

    Charlie Schulz always said Charlie Brown was the hardest character to draw because of his round head. Cartoon-boy actually draws a lot of circles really well, so don’t think he can’t draw.

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    Defective Premium Member over 10 years ago

    Waterson also made that same comment Libby does in the last panel. He was forced into telling stories using boxes that didn’t work for what he was trying to do. They finally gave him free reign, but it took a while. I still miss his strips, which is why I still read his books.

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    Kali39  over 10 years ago

    I just don’t think it’s Watterson. It’s not his style (that Mars scene would be even more detailed if it was). Still, it would be cool it it was.

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    jpmihalk  over 10 years ago

    Even the lettering has Watterson characteristics…

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    kirkhaverkamp  over 10 years ago

    Pastis said on his FB page to get ready for a really big surprise this week – I can’t imagine anything much bigger than a Watterson guest spot.

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    deangup  over 10 years ago

    That second grader sure can draw.

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    CYGNUS X1  over 10 years ago

    I called this yesterday before anyone!

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    Amanda El-Dweek creator over 10 years ago

    Not only does the drawing look like Watterson’s (and the subject matter), but the handwriting in the word balloons is a dead give-away.

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    phlash  over 10 years ago

    Silly girl…Everyone knows that Martian War Machines have three legs.

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    Vet Premium Member over 10 years ago

    OMG….Pig actually said something intelligent.Its all down hill from here……Stephan will save the day.(pleeeeaaaasseee!!!!!!)

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    Enoki  over 10 years ago

    If this is PBS drawn by a second grader does that make Stephan’s work something drawn by a pre-schooler?

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    ottod Premium Member over 10 years ago

    My vote is new pig, old rat, and whichever Democrats are running for the Senate in Iowa and Mississippi.

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    Sherlock Watson  over 10 years ago

    Libby is forgetting that comics are more about the story and/or jokes than the art. Van Gogh was a great artist, but could he have been a good cartoonist?

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    ecbaldwin Premium Member over 10 years ago

    I think Libby is Orphan Annie. She’s showing up in other strips, too. She’s been in the background at Gasoline Alley for about a week. And Dick Tracy is being asked to find her.

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    dontstarveman  over 10 years ago

    awesome

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    Alex Hallatt creator over 10 years ago

    This is getting better and better…

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    Kind&Kinder  over 10 years ago

    I don’t think Watterson ever used exclamation points over characters’ heads. He made us see it on their faces. Jeez, I miss Calvin and Hobbes—but I really also love PBS.

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    blackdawne  over 10 years ago

    The art work may have improved but not the humor.

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    ZBicyclist Premium Member over 10 years ago

    I especially like the last panel’s reference to “more space”, which Watterson was able to get on Sundays. Those Spaceman Spiff landscapes were wonderfully indulgent!

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    CyberSpaceDrifter  over 10 years ago

    I think if you look back to yesterday, I called C&H first but some people said no, it looks more like Pogo … not that I am gloating or anything …

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    claire de la lune.  over 10 years ago

    Actually, I read the Sunday comics in a newspaper the other day, and Pearls Before Swine was one of the more neater ones. The lines are much cleaner than others. The artwork is simple, but it works. So this artist is near-perfect.

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    claire de la lune.  over 10 years ago

    By the way, I like Rat’s line.“No. We’ll always be a talking head strip.”And is this drawn by Bill Watterson?

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    Constantinepaleologos  over 10 years ago

    Strangely enough, I imagine their voices differently now. I wonder who the guest artist is.

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    Ermine Notyours  over 10 years ago

    Okay, so the joke is that Patsis is getting outclassed by a second grader, one who draws as good as Bill Watterson, but who isn’t (within the context of the strip itself) Bill Watterson.Also, last week I saw “Dear Mr. Watterson” on Netflix, which features a long statement by Patsis analyzing why Watterson never authorized any extensions of the strip such as merchandising or screen adaptations. On a live interview he comes off as much more sophisticated than he does in his own strip. (Yes, I know. That’s the joke.)

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    Darryl Heine  over 10 years ago

    ALIENS!

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    minespatch  over 10 years ago

    Thank god, for a second there I thought I was hallucinating with my cold.

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    arlandolpho  over 10 years ago

    It actually is Bill Watterson. Check out Pastis blog.

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    odog  over 10 years ago

    It is really cool to know Watterson actually helped draw this strip. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/06/06/exclusive-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-bill-watterson-returns-to-the-comics-page-to-offer-a-few-pearls-gems/ for furthers details as to how and why.

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    luciasar00  over 10 years ago

    OH MY GOD IT’S ACTUALLY WATTERSONhttp://stephanpastis.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/ever-wished-that-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-bill-watterson-would-return-to-the-comics-page-well-he-just-did/

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    luciasar00  over 10 years ago

    OH MY GOD IT’S ACTUALLY WATTERSONhttp://stephanpastis.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/ever-wished-that-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-bill-watterson-would-return-to-the-comics-page-well-he-just-did/

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    Darwinsgreed  over 10 years ago

    Thank you for this, Pearls is my current favorite, but Calvin and Hobbes is a cultural phenomenon. Having Bill Watterson himself as your guest artist on this strip is quite possibly the coolest thing to happen to comic strips in the last 20 years.

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    HIHIHIHIHIHI  over 10 years ago

    WATTERSON DREW THIS!! LOOK! http://stephanpastis.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/ever-wished-that-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-bill-watterson-would-return-to-the-comics-page-well-he-just-did/

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    trevorpmp  over 10 years ago

    More Bill Watterson genius here. Now I REALLY miss Calvin more that ever.

    A sure sign that Bill W. was and still is a legend!

    Thanks!

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    prunellabooks  over 10 years ago

    Finely drawn and quartered. Watterson’s tour de farce…;0)

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    chucklej  over 10 years ago

    This comic was drawn by Bill Watterson. Yes Calvin and Hobbes Bill Watterson. Sooo cool.http://stephanpastis.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/ever-wished-that-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-bill-watterson-would-return-to-the-comics-page-well-he-just-did/

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    Andrew2J4  over 10 years ago

    Bill Watterson lives on!

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    dsaperstein  over 10 years ago

    This is so awesome! How about the tail on Rat!

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    tboneharlan  over 10 years ago

    Ha ha, anyone Notice “Rats” tail in box 2?? Awesome!!!

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    jvrprr  over 10 years ago

    Can´t believe my eyes! Bill Watterson!! What a great collaboration! Congratulations Stephan!

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    lukaluka  over 10 years ago

    Calvin before Perals

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    pam Miner  over 10 years ago

    I love it! Rat is so cute. He is too cute to be the nasty fellow that he is.

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    awgiedawgie Premium Member about 10 years ago

    OK, that was supposed to actually show the C&H strip from Sept 16, 2009 (originally from Aug 3, 1988). Maybe someone can tell me how to correctly insert an image into a comment?

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    Xalder  about 10 years ago

    I like the joke about needing more space.

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    brendanberney  over 9 years ago

    It was drawn by Bill Watterson

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    Rutabagas  about 9 years ago

    Bill Watterson was, is, and will always be great.

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